Arizona Democratic representative Adelita Grijalva has alleged that she was pepper sprayed by federal agents during a protest against an immigration raid outside a Mexican restaurant in Tucson. Grijalva, who was elected to Congress in September, said she joined demonstrators at Taco Giro on Friday after hearing that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were conducting an operation at the premises.
In a video recorded after the incident, Grijalva stated that protesters had stopped a squadron of dozens of masked ICE agents, fearing that people were being taken without due process. Footage shared on her official social media account shows a chaotic standoff between agents in tactical gear and protesters holding anti-ICE signs. Grijalva can be seen approaching officers before an agent sprays an orange chemical in the direction of the crowd, causing her to cough. Another clip shows a projectile landing behind her, producing a cloud at her feet.
“When I presented myself as a Member of Congress asking for more information, I was pushed aside and pepper sprayed,” Grijalva wrote. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disputed her account, with spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stating that she was not sprayed directly. “If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel,” McLaughlin said, adding that two officers were seriously injured during the clash. ICE spokesperson Fernando Burgos confirmed that agents were executing 16 search warrants as part of a years-long investigation into immigration and tax violations, and multiple individuals were taken into custody.
Grijalva, who has been critical of the Trump administration's immigration policies, argued that her treatment illustrated broader abuses. “I just can only imagine if they’re going to treat me like that, how they’re treating everybody else,” she said. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Vice-Mayor Lane Santa Cruz released a joint statement condemning the “disproportionate use of force, smoke grenades and pepper balls against the public,” and encouraged witnesses to share evidence for potential investigation.
Arizona Democrats rallied behind Grijalva, with Representative Greg Stanton calling the incident “outrageous,” Representative Yassamin Ansari deeming it “absolutely unacceptable,” and Senator Ruben Gallego stating that “Pepper-spraying a sitting member of Congress is disgraceful, unacceptable, and absolutely not what we voted for.” Senator Mark Kelly described it as “horrific” at a town hall later that day. Grijalva was sworn into Congress last month after a delayed return due to the federal government shutdown, filling the seat left vacant by the death of her father, the late Representative Raúl Grijalva.
